Hazrat Ishaan

Hazrat Ishaan was the second son of Khwaja Sayyid Mir Sharif Naqshbandi. His older brother was Khwaja Khawand Muhammad Naqshbandi, known as Khwaja Khawand Aftab, who also was a saint. Hazrat Ishaan had issued 5 daughters and 6 sons, who are all regarded as saints.[7]

Hazrat Ishaan was influenced by his ancestors´ teachings and was therefore a disciple of his father.[8] Hazat Ishaan was granted permission from his father to study in a royal college and had become an accomplished scholar.[9] In the age of 23 years Hazrat Ishaan Shah Saheb has received a letter to visit his father and to accompany him in his last days.[10] Upon his father, passing away, he has abandoned further studies and concentrated on the mystical quest.[11] In this he first left to Wakhsh[12], where he has become Shaykh ul Islam, performing his duties there.[13] While staying in Wakhsh, he got to know Khwaja Hajji[14]. They have met a second time in Balkh, where Khwaja Hajji has introduced him to his future master Khwaja Ishaq Dahbidi and has become his disciple.[15] He met him the second time in Bokhara and has become his disciple.[16] After twelve years of spiritual training Hazrat Ishaan Saheb has reached the level of a Shaykh in Tasawuff in year 1598.[17] Khwaja Ishaq Wali has welcomed him in his circle as the emperor of all Awliya Allah. On the order of Khwaja Ishaq Wali Hazrat Ishaan Saheb went to Lahore to propagate the Ishaqqiya path. Instead he went to Srinagar in Kashmir. In Srinagar he attracted many people, who have later followed him. The fame of his piety has reached many areas of Central Asia.[18] Hundreds of thousands of disciples in Khorasan, modern-day Afghanistan, especially in the cities of Kandahar, Kabul and Herat, followed him.[19] He has sent disciples in all over Central Asia under, whom 2 have been sent to Tibet. Unlike other Naqshbandi Masters he attracted many people, who were not only official patronages.[20] Hazrat Khwaja Khawand Mahmud was invited by the Moghul Emperor Jahangir to go to his court in Agra. Going there several times, he was unable to create firm connections to the court, because of the influences of Naqshbandis attached to the rival Jubairiyya branch.[21][22] Therefore, he came back to Kashmir. Becoming entangled in the struggle against the Shia community there, Moghul emperor Shah Jahan summoned him in year 1636 to Delhi and banned his way to Srinagar. Hazrat Ishaan spent his last six years in Lahore, where he also died.[23][24][25]